Checkmate
by KitKatTicTac
Summary: Kyoya has yet to play and beat Haruhi at chess. If he can.


**I don't own Ouran Host Club. I just wanted a quick little story, even though this was pretty difficult to write. Also, I haven't finished reading the manga yet, so if there is something I've messed up on, so sorry! Reviews would be greatly appreciated!**

* * *

The Shadow King of the Host Club had been fascinated with chess ever since he was a child, when his sister, Fuyumi, had taught it to him. He had asked her to teach him when he saw his two brothers play. He had asked his brothers first, but they had scoffed as if the _idea _of Kyouya playing chess was facetious. Fuyumi, however, was delighted to teach him. His father and his brothers never bothered to spend time with him, so his ideal companion was somebody like his sister.

Not that he minded.

It was frustrating when he started off. He could never beat Fuyumi, but whenever he lost, he always asked for a rematch. He hated the feeling of dissatisfaction whenever his king was cornered. He felt vulnerable and helpless.

At ten years old, on the nineteenth of October, he finally beat his older sister. The triumph he felt when he saw her shocked face was indescribable. Her king was in the corner, and his queen was up against it with a rook for backup. Then Fuyumi was squealing in glee and begging for a rematch. He won again.

By the time he started the Host Club, he was the master. _Nobody_ could beat him.

He planned every move with care. He saw the entire game even before he or his opponent made the first move, and he made sure that his opponent would not be able to find a way out of his plan. He knew which moves his opponent would make, and he knew how he would counter. He sculpted the inevitable, and the inevitable was that he would win.

Perhaps that was the biggest factor, or maybe the only reason, he had gotten so manipulative?

Tamaki was too easy an opponent. He just didn't understand that the object of the game was to protect your king and trap the enemy. Ironic— Tamaki referred to himself as the king.

Hikaru was just as bad as Tamaki was, but was considerable when he was playing on a team with his twin.

Kaoru was the same, but vice-versa.

Mori-senpai wasn't bad at all. He wasn't good enough, however.

Honey-senpai was good. However, he didn't know how to use the pawns to win.

Pawns. That was how Kyoya saw the rest of the club. The rest of them were expendable, disposable, for him to use to his advantage.

Then Haruhi Fujioka had come along.

Haruhi was a living game of chess. To Kyoya, at least. She was his competitor, and he had to use her and defeat her like the rest of them.

But she resisted, and she resisted enough that Kyoya realized she would make a worthy opponent in a _real _game of chess. However, he just stood by and thought about his next move, how to put her in check. But her defenses were so clever and adroit that he knew whatever he would do, she would find a way to sidestep and leave him thrown off balance once more.

He felt the frustration he had felt when he was learning with Fuyumi. He needed to play a game with her. Not a metaphorical game, not those games in his mind. A literal, real game, head to head, on the checkered board, black and white.

On October 19, Kyoya slipped a note into Haruhi's desk.

When Haruhi walked into class that morning, she found the note and read it. When Hikaru and Kaoru asked what it was, she told them.

"It looks like Kyoya-senpai wants to play a game of chess with me. Weird, he wants to play it while we're hosting."

The look on the twins' face was priceless. It was a mix of horror and curiosity. They quickly explained to Haruhi how Kyoya was unbeatable, and playing him would get you addicted, as though his moves were like a drug. Whenever you lost, you would feel so frustrated that you would have to play him again. His smug demeanor throughout and after the game made you want to checkmate that smirk right off of his face. But he knew what moves you would do, and he was always prepared for it. He lived life as a game of breathing chess.

Haruhi didn't care. If Kyoya-senpai was this good, then there was no way she could turn him down. The twins described this as one of the "symptoms" that she had caught Playing-Against-Kyoya-Senpai-In-Chess-Itis.

The female host needed a stronger opponent. Her only opponents were her father, her landlady, and occasionally Arai, whenever he came over to visit. None of them could beat her, however.

She loved chess. Mostly because her mother taught it to her, and had anybody else been her teacher, she wouldn't have liked it as much and certainly wouldn't have been as good at it.

The six hours of school ticked by tediously. It was as if the teachers were talking in slow motion. Today, Haruhi was more excited than usual to get to Music Room Three.

At last, it was time. She walked to the music room, and was immediately pounced by a blond and two gingers, begging her to forfeit the game. The clients were already there, whispering over a small table. Haruhi didn't realize it would be that big a deal. For a small moment, she thought about taking up Tamaki and the twins' pleads.

Kyoya looked up at her with that smirk on his face. Now Haruhi knew what the twins were talking about. That smirk was so full of assurance that it enraged Haruhi. Did he think he could actually _beat _her? He couldn't!

Haruhi marched straight to the board and started setting up her black pieces.

Let the games begin.

* * *

The first part of the game was uneventful.

Kyoya was right — Haruhi was very good at chess. He actually struggled. Haruhi's brows were furrowed in concentration. Then she made a move.

He was infuriated. He hadn't seen that outcome! His plans for the rest of the game were completely ruined! Every single move he had made so far was a waste!

The blush must have been prominent on his face, because suddenly, his smirk jumped from his face to Haruhi's.

He was a fish out of water. It was okay, he could come back from this.

They lost track of time. Soon enough, it was seven at night and everybody but the two of them had left. It appeared they hadn't made any progress since Haruhi had made "the move."

"Why did you ask me to play chess with you, Kyoya-senpai?" Haruhi asked during her move.

"Various reasons," He replied. "Mainly because I've played everybody in the club but you."

"And you beat them?"

"Yes."

"Figures," Haruhi said. "Hikaru and Kaoru were pretty terrified when we found that note in my desk."

"Hm." Kyoya made a sound of thought. "Why did you say yes, then, Haruhi?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I don't know," Haruhi repeated. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Kyoya chuckled.

"Why so defensive?" He asked.

"I'm not being defensive." Haruhi frowned.

"You're being defensive right now."

"Oh, just shut up."

"Excuse me?" Kyoya looked up from the board. His fingers were resting on top of a knight.

"I said shut up. Oh, are you going to get all _angry _that a _commoner _told _you _to shut up?" Haruhi taunted. "Come on, just move."

Kyoya moved his knight to take Haruhi's pawn.

"Check."

In turn, Haruhi took his knight with her rook.

"Check."

Kyoya had a pit in his stomach. He moved his king back to its original position before the game had started.

"I'm not irrational like that, Haruhi," he said, continuing the conversation before. "Just because you told me to shut up doesn't mean I'm going to flip the table over in rage. Unlike you. Before you saw me, you were thinking about quitting. But I pressured you into continuing the game, didn't I?"

"Whatever!" Haruhi scoffed, even though she knew it was true. "You're giving yourself _way _too much credit."

Kyoya paused for a little while, then stared at Haruhi expectantly, then at the board. Haruhi followed his eyes and realized it was her turn.

After scanning the board, she saw the perfect move.

She moved her queen to his end of the board.

"Checkmate."


End file.
